Latest Press Releases/Speeches

Foreign Minister meets U.S. Secretary of State

(2018-10-03)
Washington: Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi met U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo at the State Department today for wide-ranging talks on bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest.

The Foreign Minister was assisted by Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua and Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States, Ali Jehangir Siddiqui.

The Foreign Minister, who is paying an official visit to Washington at Secretary Pompeo's invitation, said that close engagement between Pakistan and the United States had always been mutually beneficial and a factor for stability in South Asia. He stressed that, going forward, a broad-based and structured framework for dialogue would best serve the two countries' shared interests.

Foreign Minister Qureshi highlighted the development-focused and people-centric agenda of the Government, which was contingent on peace and security in Pakistan's neighborhood.

The Foreign Minister noted that Pakistan and the United States shared a common desire for peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region at large. He reiterated Pakistan's support for a political settlement in Afghanistan, noting that the use of force had failed to deliver results.

The Foreign Minister stressed that peace in South Asia, which was a common goal of both the United States and Pakistan, would remain elusive until all disputes, including the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir, are resolved.

Welcoming the Foreign Minister to the State Department, Secretary Pompeo said the United States looked forward to working with the new Government of Pakistan in implementing its reform agenda. He appreciated Pakistan's support for political reconciliation in Afghanistan and its efforts for peace in the neighborhood.

Both sides agreed that the time was ripe for the Afghan Taliban to avail the opportunity for a political settlement by seizing the opportunity for dialogue.

The two leaders agreed to remain engaged with a view to achieving their shared bilateral and regional objectives.